Iran urges UNESCO to take action against Israel
Iran has called on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to take action against the Israeli regime and condemn its brutal actions against the Palestinian people.
In two separate letters to UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Science, Research and Technology Reza Faraji-Dana underscored the need for adopting a tough stance against Tel Aviv.
The letters referred to the destruction of educational, training and social facilities as well as the massacre of people from all walks of life, including students and journalists, in the besieged Gaza Strip amid Israel's recent deadly military assault on the coastal sliver.
They also reiterated the goals of the establishment of UNESCO and emphasized the necessity for the explicit condemnation of the Zionist regime’s crimes.
“The crimes that the occupying Israel has committed in Gaza clearly require that every organization affiliated to the UN individually take action, but UNESCO has so far acted poorly in this regard,” added Iran’s Ambassador to UNESCO Ahmad Jalali.
Pointing to the Islamic Republic’s letters to the UNESCO officials, Jalali noted that the documents urge the specialized UN agency to adopt a "firm and clear stance" in regard to the catastrophe in Gaza and condemn and prevent the continuation of such atrocities.
The official further said the Islamic Republic, which holds NAM’s rotating presidency, has submitted another letter to NAM member states' missions to UNESCO to be sent to their respective ministers of higher education.
Addressing academics, elites and scholars of NAM member states, the letter says the silence of international communities will provide an opportunity for the Zionist regime to carry out various crimes.
The Israeli regime’s 29 days of relentless offensive against the Gaza Strip has claimed the lives of at least 1,875 Palestinians, including 430 children, and wounded over 9,600 others.
A 72-hour humanitarian truce between the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas and Israel took effect at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Tuesday.